Gary:
To add to you having a Merry Christmas … I thought you’d be interested in the deer our daughter, Kate, feeds in Susanville, Calif.

Some folks have plastic deer in their front yards …Don Beck

Don:
Nothing like new snow and fresh red tasty apples to wish a very Merry Christmas to everyone … including the local resident deer! A very Happy Holidays to you, your daughter … and of course the deer! /Gary

Question about an elderly parakeet: She is about 13 yrs. old and we noticed about 2 months ago that she was favoring one side of her body, and now it has progressed to the point that she leans completely to the left, while perched against the side of the cage. She sings, eats, responds to us, and moves around from perch to perch. When she is tired she is so bent over that her head is almost underneath her. She does not seem to be in any pain. We attempted to put a nest in the cage by the perch, hoping she would lay in it, but she will not use it. Do you think she had a stroke??

Could feeding deer be a contributing factor to the recent deer attacks in Berkeley? The more wild animals grow less afraid of humans, the more likely there is to be an unpleasant interaction between the two. Don’t get me wrong — I don’t consider overripe apples fallen from trees as “feeding the deer” just as I don’t consider that as they scarf down my rose bushes.(I’m eliminating my problem by letting these old roses die. When we build a fence to deter deer dining, I might plant again.) Just because it’s charming to have deer outside your window, or thrilling to have bears eating from your trash can, doesn’t mean they love you and will never hurt you. We know that even man’s best friend can instantly turn lethal no matter how many studded leather collars, organic foods, kisses and snuggies we buy. Just watch “Fatal Attractions” on the Animal Channel. You’ll realize that some animals need to remain wild — especially when it comes time for dinner.